Electrical cut-out



Feb. 12, 1935. R, w. E. MOORE I ELECTRICAL CUT-OUT Filed Jan. 11, 1934INVENTOR fiafi WE M00219 M A ORNEYS Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CUT- OUT Application January 11, 1934, SerialNo. 706,202

Claims.

This invention relates to electrical cutout organizations andparticularly to cutout organizations of the type which protect circuitswith plug fuses.

5 The electrical supply for buildings (for example) is customarilydistributed from a distributing-cabinet in which are located fuses forprotecting the "various electrical circuits individually. Frequentlythis cabinet is also provided with manually operable switches forcutting circuits in and out. To minimize tampering, the distributingcabinets in residences and many otherinstallations are so arranged as togive the consumer no more access to the wiring and electrical circuitsthan is necessary. This means that the elements are all permanentlyenclosed except'that the fuse plug elements themselves are accessibleforreplacement andthat the handles ofswitches are accessible foroperation of the m switches. Even this degree of accessibilitypermits'more or less easily accomplished tampering whichmay endanger thecircuitswith resultant fireand-personal-hazard. For example, theconaumermay replace a burned out fuse with a fuse having a rating.higher than the safe carrying capacity of the-circuit; Or, when a fuseburns tout the consumer may bridge the fuse socket with a coin, wire, ortin foil thus leaving the icircuit "completely unprotected.

object of the 'presentinv'ention is to pro- -vide a permanent cutoutand/or controlling organization which will make it very difilcult indeedfor a consumer to so tamper with the distributing cabinet' as toleave acircuit unprotected.

. Another object of the invention is to provide a permanent cutoutand/or controlling organiza- "tion which 'will prevent the insertion offuses having ratings higherthan the safe carrying capacity of therespective circuits. Fig.1 is a'view with parts'broken away showing'atypical distributing cabinet installation emhodying the presentinvention. Considering the box as mounted on a wall the view is an ele-LVation.

Fig. 2 is an approximately full sized figure showing a fuse receptacleof the present-inven- ..tion,. the figure being a plan view if therecep- 150 tacle be. considered as being in a horizontal .position.

- Fig. 3 is an enlargedvertical section taken vapproximatelvon the line3-3 of Fig. 2.

" Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the end of aiuse plug in-theposition it occupies when being advanced for insertion into the socketshown in Fig. 3.

Reference will first be had to Fig. 1. Screwed, or otherwise secured tothe bottom (or back) of a metal distributing cabinet 10 are a plurality5 of fuse receptacle blocks such as 11, 12 and 13. Blocks such as 11 areadapted to receive two fuses which may be used (for example) to fuse oneside of two separate circuits, the other side of each circuit beingunfused and connected to 10 a grounded neutral bar 9. Blocks such as 12are adapted to receive four fuses for fusing (for example) both sides oftwo individual circuits. Blocks such as 13 are adapted to receive fourfuses for fusing four wives as desired, and in series with each of thefuses is a manually operable single pole snap-switch controlled by ahandle 14. The connection to the center contact of each of the fusesockets is made by bus bars 15 (four shown) which pass beneath the fuseblocks; and connection to the shell contact of each of the fuse socketsis made by suitable wiring 1'7. Covering the wiring and fuse blocks is arigidly secured cover plate which is merely provided with suitableapertures through 25 which the fuses can be inserted into the fusesockets and through which the handles 14 of the switches project foractuation. At its top the cover plate 18 may have a separately removablesection 18" to give an electrician access to 0 the terminals of bus bars15 and to the grounded .neutral bar. Hinged to the trim 19 is a metaldoor 19 which closes over the fuses and switch handles.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 2 and 3 which show the structuraldetails of the fuse receptacles, a receptacle such as 11 beingspecifically shown to avoid needless duplication of similar parts. Aninsulating base 20, of suitable molded material such as a phenolcondensation product or porcelain, is provided with leg portions 21 and22 which are adapted to contact with the bottom of the distributingcabinet; and between these leg portions extends one of bus bars 15,threaded into which is a screw 24. A flat metal terminal member 25 liesin the bottom of cuplike depression 26 and extends through aperture 2'7,beyond which it is provided with a screw 28 for making wiring connectionto the cutout base. The terminal member 25 is secured in place in theinsulating base by screws 29-29. Secured to terminal member by severalscrews 30 (one shown) is a sheet metal threaded screw socket 31 whichpreferably is of smaller diameter than a standard shell so it will.reject the plug fuses which have heretofore been in common use. Screwedinto the socket 31 is a fuse selector 32 7 made of suitable moldedinsulating material such as a phenol condensation product. This fuseselector 32 is provided with a spring barb 33, the point of whichengages the surface of shell 31 and prevents removal of the fuseselector 32. This barb is of the same general type as barb 35 shown inFig. 2 of my copending application Serial No. 699,652, filed November25, 1933. Within the fuse selector 32 is a movable circuit mak v ingandbreaking plug 34 provided at one end with a head 35, and at the otherend with a washer 36, held in place by riveting as-at 37. Member 34' isnormally biased into the position shown in the drawing by helical spring38; and when the member 34 is reciprocated, washer 36 moves back andforth in a recess 39. Holes 40 are provided to receive screws forsecuring the cutout base in the service box; and vertically extendinginsulating partitions 41 separate wiringv connections 7 28 one fromanother.

The receptacle is adapted. to receive a fuse of the type fullydisclosedin my copending application Serial No. 699,652, filed November 25, 1933,but Fig. 4 of the present drawing shows the portion of the fuse which isreceived by and cooperates with' the present fuse receptacle. The fusebody of suitable molded insulating material has adepending centralportion 45 from which projects a 'metalcontact member:46. Surroundingand spaced from the central member 45 is an e v V annular space aboutwall 43, and hence such into the shell 31.

annular skirt 47 outside of which is a screwthreaded sheet metal thimble48 adapted to screw A fuse link, located inthe upper portion of thefuse, connects central contact 46 with shell 48; and when the fuseblows,

shown at 49." g r g V 1 The fuse 'is installed in the base merely byscrewingit inplace in the shell 31 in an obvious manner. Center fusecontact 46 engages circuit gases escape through ports, one of which ismakingfand breaking member 34, advancing it of such dimensions that ittelescopes into the,

annular space about outer wall 43 of the fuse selector 32. The outervertical wall of the fuse Iselector 32 is provided with grooves 44 whichperinit the escape of gases issuing from the fuse.

{In fuses of diiferent rating the skirt 47 has different' thicknesses,with the thicker skirts- 47 'being assigned to the fuses of higherrating; Fuse port 49 in "selector 22 is so sized as to receive a'fuse ofthe rating which the circuit is designed to carry.

:Fuses of lower rating are of course harmless and may be inserted in thecircuit since the skirt 47 .will be of less thickness than'the width ofthe space around wall 43. But fuses having a rating higher than the safecarrying capacity of the circuit have a skirt 47 which is thicker thanthe fuses of higher rating are rejected by thefuse selector 32:.andcannot be insertedin the receptacle." 7

It will be apparent that the circuit cannot be bridged by the insertioinof coins and the like because when a fuse is removed the circuit isautomatically broken by the outward movement of circuit making andbreaking member 34.- Shell 31 may extend to such a small height abovethe tually prevents unauthorized and ill advised persons from overfusing the circuits or bridging blown out fuses. The invention may ofcourse be embodied in various specific forms and hence the foregoingdisclosure is merely illustrative in compliance with the patentstatutes, and the invention is not to be limited except by the scope ofthe appended claims.

I claim: r

1 A fuse receptacle comprisingga base of insulating material, thefbasebeing formed with a socket having a bottom and a recess extending belowthe center portion of'the bottom; a cuplike fuse-receiving contactpositioned' in said socket; the bottom of the cup formation beingadjacent to the bottom of said socket and having .an aperture overlyingsaid recess; a center current-carrying contact positioned in said recessbelow the bottom of said socket; a fuse selector oi insulating materialpositioned in the lower portion of said fuse-receiving contact; and acircuit breaker carried by said fuse selector and cooperable with saidcenter contact, the circuit breaker being normally biased into openposition but being automatically movable intoengagement with said centercontact by the insertion of a fuse.

2. A fuse receptacle comprising: -a base of insulating material, thebase being formedwith a socket having a bottom and a recess extendingbelow the center portion of the bottom; an'annular' fuse receivingcontactlining said socket; a center current-carrying contact positionedin said recess below the 'bottom' ofsaid socket;

a fuse selector of insulating material positioned k in the lower portionof said'fuse-receiving contact, said selector receiving fuses up to agiven rating and rejecting fuses of higher rating; and a circuitbreakencarried by said fuse selector and cooperable with; said.centerflcontact, the circuit breaker'being normally'biased into openposition but being automatically movable into engagement with said.center contact bytheinsertion of a fuse.

3. A fuse receptacle comprising: a base of insulating material, the basebeing formed with 5' lower portion of said fuse-receiving contact,said

fuse selector having an annular extension of insulatingmaterialprojecting through the aperture in the'bottom of saidfuse-receivingconvtact; and a circuit breaker carried by said fuseselector and cooperable with said center contact,

4. A fuse receptacle comprising:" a base of insulating material, thebase being formed with a socket having a bottom and a recess extendingbelow the center portion of the bottom; a threaded cup-likefuse-receiving contact positioned in said socket, the bottom of the cupformation being adjacent to the bottom of said socket and having anaperture overlying said recess; a center current carrying contactpositioned in said recess below the bottom of said socket; a fuseselector of insulating material screwed into and permanently secured inthe lower portion of said fuse-receiving contact; and a circuit breakercarried by said fuse selector and cooperable with said center contact,the circuit breaker being normally biased into open position but beingautomatically movable into engagement with said center contact by theinsertion of a fuse.

5. A fuse receptacle comprising: a base of insulating material, the basebeing formed with a socket having a bottom and a recess extending belowthe center portion of the bottom; an annular fuse-receiving contactlining said socket; a center current-carrying contact positioned in saidrecess below the bottom of said socket; a fuse selector of insulatingmaterial positioned in the lower portion of said fuse-receiving contact,the fuse selector having a single centrally located cylindricalextension projecting upwardly within the fuse-receiving contact andacting to receive fuses of various ratings up to a certain rating andreject fuses of higher rating; and a circuit breaker carried by saidfuse selector and cooperable with said center contact, said circuitbreaker comprising a reciprocatory vertical member biased upwardly by aspring and adapted to be depressed by the insertion of a fuse.

RALPH W. E. MOORE.

